Bengaluru’s whisky lovers have a new pour to explore: Amrut Distilleries has just launched Neidhal, the first from their Single Malts of India bouquet. Neidhal, or “coastal plains”, is one of the Earth’s five regions as classified in ancient Tamil texts; each region is said to have its own literary style, culture, cuisine and mood. Now, it would seem to also have its own whisky, which is so named as it was sourced from a coastal region.
The limited bottle release of 12,000 around the world include 1,200 earmarked for sale in Bengaluru’s major liquor stores, priced at Rs5,996. Procured from another distillery and polished at Amrut, Neidhal “is the first independent bottling in India,” says Amrut’s head distiller Ashok Chokalingam.
The Single Malts of India series is meant to showcase the hidden gems of India’s malts. Neidhal, a peated single malt whisky, is said to pack in “notes of tropical fruit, vanilla punctuated by soft phenols and sea salt on the nose”. “On the palate, it is a fruit cocktail with a touch of iodine. The middle ground is an essay in chewability and a finish that is phenolic with a touch of sweet vanilla.”
